REACH YOUR GOALS
A New Strategy for Managing Financial Stress
There are plenty of reasons for money-related stress these days, with sticky inflation and higher interest rates causing many Americans to acquire debt. Unfortunately, it also contributes to a potentially life-threatening condition: stress. Recently, the American Heart Association reported that 82% of us are stressed about money.
Instead of following a painfully stringent budget plan—something financial expert Suze Orman described as similar to a crash diet—you may reduce your anxiety if you consider changing how you feel about money.
Recently, a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF) named Dana Miranda published You Don’t Need a Budget, a book that challenges traditional budgets and the thinking behind them. Miranda analyzes some popular financial gurus’ teachings and explains why their ideas will never work for many of us. She also identifies the psychological problems that debt causes, such as the sense of shame and guilt that’s often attached to it, and how to deal with it.
Source: fortune.com
MORTGAGE IQ
How Mortgage Rate Locks Work
Many of us have been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for mortgage interest rates to reach what we feel is an acceptable level. If and when this happens in 2025, you may want to consider a mortgage rate lock, especially if you’re nervous about market fluctuations. Here’s how these locks work, and why they can be a money-saving move.
A mortgage rate lock may be offered to an approved borrower by their lender. It guarantees the interest rate of a mortgage for a specified period of time, usually 30 to 60 days, so borrowers have adequate time to close on their home purchase. If you’re financing new construction, you may be able to negotiate a longer lock period.
Lenders may charge a fee for the rate lock or roll the cost of the lock into the mortgage. Once locked, the loan’s interest rate won’t change, no matter what’s happening with the economy from one day to the next. It can lock in some peace of mind during a major transaction, not just the rate.
While a rate lock protects you from higher rates, it may or may not adjust to a lower rate if this happens. Some lenders offer a one-time “float down” so you’ll be able to take advantage of a rate drop.
Rate locks can be affected if the information provided on your application changes, such as the property appraisal, credit score, income or employment, or there is a revision to the loan itself, such as length or type of mortgage.
Source: nerdwallet.com
FINANCIAL NEWS
Retail Prices and Tariffs: What to Expect
The import tariffs affecting goods from China, Mexico and Canada are making headlines, which has caused many consumers to buy certain items sooner than later. While the White House claims that tariffs will bring in revenue, many executives believe that higher prices on imported goods will mean higher prices at the checkout.
When interviewed by Money magazine, several retail CEOs described how consumers may be affected. Some, like Best Buy’s Corie Barry, expect the tariff costs to drive up their product pricing. Target’s CEO admitted that their fruit and vegetable imports from Mexico will quickly become more expensive.
HP’s CEO was a bit cagier, claiming that the company would consider moving their manufacturing out of China. However, he admitted that additional tariffs could result in “pricing actions as needed.”
Automotive price hikes are already in the air. However, General Motors’ Mary Barra is considering moving plants from Mexico and Canada, although their new destinations are as yet unknown. Ford’s CEO fears that consumers will turn away from American brands and opt for South Korean vehicles.
Alcoa CEO Bill Oplinger shared a highly negative view of tariffs, stating that they could end up in 100,000 job losses for Americans. Canada is currently the leading supplier of steel and aluminum to Alcoa.
However, there’s a bit of good news for those of us with children. Toy maker Hasbro claims that tariffs will have a minimal effect, as the company is already lowering the percentage of its products manufactured in China. CEO Chris Cocks remarked that the company is “relatively unexposed to some of the tariff drama that’s going on right now.”
Source: money.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Even The Tooth Fairy’s on a Budget
National insurance provider Delta Dental does more than provide coverage; they keep track of annual Tooth Fairy payouts. The data changes from year to year, with recent stats showing that losing a tooth doesn’t earn as much as it did in 2024. Children who raked in over $7.00 last year for a lost baby tooth only found around $6.25 under their pillows this year.
While mature readers (like the author of this article) may remember their payouts being in quarters instead of bills, children losing baby teeth from 1998 onwards have been collecting well over $1.00 for each one left under the pillow.
Perhaps there are regional Tooth Fairies making the moonlit rounds. Delta found that payouts differed per the four major regions:
- Children in Midwest states only collected around $3.50 per tooth on average.
Southern kids raked in the biggest payouts and even went from $5.51 in 2024 to $5.71 in 2025. - While Western children have collected some of the biggest rewards, their 2025 payout dropped to $5.69.
- Northeast tooth losers also saw their payouts drop, falling under $5.00 per tooth for the first time since 2020.
If you have one or more children who will be shedding baby teeth soon, Delta Dental provides parents with printable letters and certificates to help celebrate Tooth Fairy visits.
Source: deltadental.com
PERSONAL FINANCES
What Will Happen if Pennies Perish?
The humble penny has been around for more than 230 years, but its days may be numbered. The current administration has directed the U.S. Mint to stop producing them, as it costs 3.7 cents to produce a single penny, a net loss of over 85 million dollars during 2024. However, around 240 billion pennies are sitting in jars and under sofa cushions, which may eventually cause a shortage.
Wondering what could happen if pennies disappear? If the penny were phased out, most cash purchases would round to the nearest five cents. If you’re concerned that some prices could be bumped up to the next five cents, studies from countries that eliminated lowest-value coins found that rounding had a neutral financial effect. The rounding up and down of prices eventually cancelled out overall price changes.
Removing pennies from circulation may have a negative effect on charities that rely on spare change donation boxes at checkouts. However, as changing consumer habits have reduced our reliance on bills and coins, charities are transitioning to digital donation methods.
One question remains: will nickels be the next on the chopping block? Currently, a nickel costs almost 14 cents to produce.
Source: empower.com
FOOD
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Tofu
Vegetable dishes don’t always have to be sidelined as a side. This Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Tofu and Honey-Sesame Glaze can easily pass as a main dish. It’s popular with a variety of diners, including vegetarians and those following a gluten-free diet.
REAL ESTATE TRENDS
Gardening for Space-Challenged Homeowners
As more homebuyers opt for smaller homes with smaller price tags, fewer of these properties feature traditional lawns and flower beds. However, they may be able to create a crevice garden within a patio or walkway.
If you don’t have these but have a small area to work with, you can buy several flat stones and arrange them diagonally, adding soil between them.
Crevice gardens are easy to cultivate as the crevices provide near-perfect conditions. They keep seeds and plant roots warm, and moist in the soil. The roots are protected, and hard surfaces almost always trap heat.
If you have a rock wall, adding plants between the rocks creates a symbiotic relationship: The roots help the wall maintain stability while the rocks provide drainage, insulation, and minerals that leach into the soil, providing nutrients for the plants.
While your local nursery or garden center can recommend plant choices, succulents and some cacti do well. The only rule: go for drought-tolerant plants.
For more information and inspiration, visit the North American Rock Garden Society online.
Sources: lifehacker.com
